[USA]Legalize Trans Campaign Kicks OffA new public education campaign, Legalize Trans, has launched with the goal of drawing increased attention to transgender people and their issues.The campaign, created by activists Asher Kolieboi and Brian Murphy, is selling T-shirts, buttons, and other merchandise bearing the message “Legalize Trans,” a response to what they see as a lack of trans inclusion in American Apparel’s Legalize Gay campaign and in the gay rights movement generally, says Kolieboi, who earlier this year was codirector of the Soulforce Q Equality Ride and one of the young activists featured in The Advocate’s Forty Under 40 issue.

[USA]The transfan in popular cultureIn my article on crossdreamers and the fascination for "shemales", crossdressers and transwomen, I looked into the psychology of what drives a transfan (also called a transsensual or a tranny chaser).

[USA]Transgender Tennis Player Wins Yet Another U.S. Open Due to Lack of CompetitionMichael-Michelle Johnson found itself holding yet another U.S. Open championship cup above its head yesterday in Flushing Meadows. Johnson, who may be the most dominant athlete of any sport in history, claimed a 234th straight inter-gender tennis title, making even Roger Federer's accomplishments look tame.While the men's and women's divisions in tennis get most of the press, Johnson has quietly carved out a career for the ages. It has yet to play an actual opponent, spending most of his/her practice time hitting against a wall, but was nonetheless proud of yet another victory. It was a tearful scene on the illustrious court 52, as it got another trophy.

[DC, USA]Police investigate transgender attack on BroadwayTwo transgender women had rocks thrown at them on Capitol Hill after four suspects yelled hateful insults at them, according to police.One of the victims told police that she was inside a Capitol Hill business about 3:15 a.m. Sep. 2 when she asked a woman her name. The woman refused to give her name.Police were told someone with the woman made a comment about the victim's legs and "stated that the four suspects were trying to talk" with the victim "to hook up," according to an incident report.

[MT, USA]Transgender group seeks supportThe first time Bree Sutherland talked to a therapist, it changed her life.In 2008, Sutherland, a transgender woman, was living as a man and trying to ignore her feelings. “At the time, I knew I was a girl, I knew the way I felt, but I didn’t want to accept it,” she said. “I decided to go to a therapist to have her tell me I’m not trans.” She made an appointment with a trans woman therapist in Missoula.Sutherland walked out of that first session an hour an a half later with “a million pounds let off [her] chest.”Since then, she’s become a trans activist and started sponsoring her own Missoula transgender support group, which is just part of the resource network for Montanans struggling with identity issues. “There’s roughly 750 transgender individuals in the city, as of last year,” said Sutherland. She estimates that about 150 trans individuals are on campus.

[NY, USA]NY Governor David Paterson Signs Gay, Trans-Inclusive Anti-Bullying BillNew York Governor David Paterson has signed an anti-bullying bill that includes sexual orientation and gender identity.Paterson, a Democrat, signed the bill this morning at a ceremony held at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center in the city's Greenwich Village.The Dignity for All Students Act won the overwhelming approval of senators in June after the Assembly had approved the bill nine times since openly gay Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell first introduced the bill in 2002.